Whether you’re an experienced cook with decades under your spatula or a relative newbie who knows a little but could really use a primer, Aida Mollenkamp’s new book Keys to the Kitchen, can help take your cooking to the next level.

Former host of the Food Network’s Ask Aida and the Cooking Channel’s FoodCrafters, Mollenkamp offers straightforward advice on everything from prepping to poaching (for the newer cook) to something she calls The Riff, a section for more experienced or adventurous cooks who want to learn how to get away from obsessively following recipes to cooking from the hip. In this section, she offers over 100 additional cooking ideas, including how to reinvent last night’s leftovers. And who doesn’t need to know that?

One section, called Label Lingo, helps you figure out — finally! — the meaning behind the labels manufacturers place on their foods. What, for instance, is the difference between heritage and heirloom crops? Mollenkamp also includes a helpful drawing of pigs, poultry, fish and beef with all the sections labeled. You’ll never wonder about the difference between a Boston shoulder and picnic shoulder again.

She also explains basic tools and their purpose, certain assumptions you should make about all recipes — produce, for instance, should be ripe — and the differences between minced, finely chopped, medium dice, etc., complete with helpful drawings.

The recipes are just as clear and include difficulty ratings as well as total time and hands-on time. Each includes tips as well. “Cracked bulgur is cracked wheat that is the same size as cornmeal and is used to make tabbouleh,” she writes in the margins of her recipe for eggplant casserole with pine nut-yogurt sauce. “If you can’t find it, you can use quinoa (cook according to package directions) or leave it out.”

Mollenkamp says she decided to write the book in part because she kept being bombarded by questions from family and friends. The Millennial generation — of which she is a member — loves to eat, she says, but generally doesn’t know how to cook well. “[In] my age group you see a lack of home economics [training] in the schools and then as a result of modern conveniences you see people marketed to that it’s a hassle to cook. I wanted to take a stand against that,” she says. “Anybody can put dinner on the table if you know some basic skills in 30 to 40 minutes.”

Mollenkamp also wants to help more experienced cooks get out of their culinary ruts. “One of the things I stand by is every time you enter the market, every time you sit down to eat or cook, you have a chance for a food adventure.”

“People who are confident in the kitchen, the majority are stuck or not comfortable going out of their comfort zone,” she continues. “I wanted to help them get beyond that. I wanted to help them riff and get beyond that.”

Mollenkamp says she gets her cooking inspiration from her life experiences. She has traveled a fair amount and grew up in Los Angeles, a city known for its multi-ethnicity. “I turn to the flavors of Latin America, the Middle East and Asian groups because I grew up around them,” she says.

The key to good cooking — and what Mollenkamp hopes readers will take away from her book — is to relax. “It’s that riffing concept,” she says. “I hope they are comfortable enough in the kitchen that they can make the food their own.”

Bring the 8 cups of water to a simmer in a medium frying pan and, if using, add the vinegar. Break each egg into a separate small cup or ramekin. Gently slide the eggs into the simmering water, cooking two at a time. Cook until the whites are just set, about 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the eggs out of the water. Place in a bowl of warm water to hold their heat while finishing the hash.

for the hash

Heat some oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion, season with salt, stir to coat the onion pieces in oil and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat in oil. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sweet potatoes just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth or water, cover and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 5 minutes.

Remove the cover and cook until the liquid has almost completely evaporated (the bottom of the pan should have a film of liquid), about 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme, season generously with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

Serve the hash topped with 1 or 2 poached eggs for each serving and garnish with sliced avocado and, if desired, a dollop of sour cream.

In a large pot combine the chicken, neck, water, celery, garlic, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then decrease the heat to low. Cover partially and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 45 minutes

Remove the chicken (leave the neck) to a plate and set aside to cool. Return the stock to the stovetop and continue to simmer over low heat, still partially covered. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and pull the meat off the bones. Add the bones to the simmering stock and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Season the meat with 1 teaspoon of the salt and refrigerate until ready to use.

Continue to simmer the stock until it’s richly flavored, about 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Strain the stock (you should have about 7 cups) into a heatproof bowl and stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired, and use in the soup or set aside to cool for at least 1 hour before covering and refrigerating.

For the soup

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion, season with salt and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the sweet potato and squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the curry, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 4 cups of the reserved stock, tomatoes with their juice, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low, stir in the peanut butter and the reserved shredded chicken. Season with salt and simmer until the flavors are melded, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the cilantro and green onions and cook until just heated through. Ladle into bowls, top with peanuts and serve.

Tip: If you don’t have time to make the stock, you can shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken and use store-bought low-sodium chicken broth instead.